Diplomats at a United Nations conference in Busan, South Korea, failed to reach agreement on the world’s first treaty to tackle plastic pollution Sunday. They said they would reconvene in future months to try again.

At what was supposed to be the final round of talks, nations struggled to bridge wide differences that remained over critic al issues, including whether the treaty should include limits on plastics production itself.

Some of the world’s largest producers of petroleum had vehemently opposed any measure that would restrict plastic production. The vast majority of the world’s plastic is made from petroleum.

Representatives from those countries argued, instead, that the treaty should stay focused on improving recycling and waste management.

Delegates gathered at the conference also remained far apart on the need to phase out some of the harmful chemicals used in plastic, as well as who should bear the costs of implementing the treaty.

As of late Sunday in Busan, no date nor place had been announced for the next round of talks.

— The New York Times